Originally Posted by PremiumSeat

Here’s my write-up on Poerava Business:

PPT to LAX (10:00 p.m. departure)


Poerava Business

Check-In: Normal process. They had dedicated Poerava Business check-in lines with no wait. Offered an upgrade to Poerava First at check in for $1,600 (USD) per person (really high, in my view, for a check-in upgrade offer) - would have paid $500 (USD) per person without a second thought but passed at the prospect of $3,200 (USD).

The Lounge in PPT: The quality of the facilities were nice on the second floor of the airport. The lounge is basically the only air conditioned placed in the airport. Although we were in Poerava Business, I did not see a separate area for First, so assume there is none. A nice selection of cheese, canapés, bread and other snacks. A self serve bar with a wine/beer refrigerator. My main criticism of the lounge was the horrible wine selection - they had Champagne flutes but no Champagne. They had one white (a sweet white made in Tahiti?) and a blush “wine” also made in Tahiti - I wasn’t brave enough to try either.

Boarding/Pre-Departure: Once on the plane, a flight attendant came around and offered to take my blazer and then another with a tray of pre-departure beverages. The selection was Rose Champagne (same type as offered on the way over in First), orange juice, water or some sort of fruit juice. All four selections were offered in a mini-highball styled glass. No refills offered.

In-Flight: Once in flight, the flight attendants all changed from their “uniforms” into the Tahitian dresses. 14 out of 24 seats in Poerava Business were occupied and Poerava First flew empty. Once in the air, the flight attendant came around and distributed amenity kits (same as in First), headsets for the in-flight entertainment (same as in First) and menus (smaller in size than in First) -- no pajamas. After those items were handed out, we were offered our choice of beverage. The meal presentation and offerings were miles away from First. The tray tables were set with linen and then the flight attendant came around with a coach-styled “meal cart” and served the choice of entree on a pre-plated linen-covered tray (i.e. plastic salt and pepper shakers, smaller utensils, napkin, etc. were all pre-arranged on the tray with the food when it was placed before us).

Here’s the menu:

Hors d’oeuvre -
Mozzarella, tomato and bluefin tune terrine (we both had this and it was tasty)
-or-
Chicken and leek terrine in aspic with gribiche sauce

Main Course -
Vegetable and beef noussaka with tomato basil sauce and Parmesan cheese (we both had this and it was nothing short of disgusting - my wife took one bit and found it to be inedible. It was basically a pile of ground beef, topped with a piece of melted cheese floating in a pool of what tasted like ketchup).
-or-
Bordeaux-style beef shoulder tart

A Selection of Fine Cheese - consisted of two tiny pre-plated pieces of cheese served on the same tray with the set-up and Hors d’oeuvre covered by a small plastic dome. The diminutive portion of cheese was good but a far cry from the trolley in First on the way over.

Desserts -

Saffron mirliton pastry

Fresh seasonal fruit



The wines were the same as in first, just less of them. Two Champagne selections (Jacquart Brut Mosaique Rose or Jacquart Brut Mosaique Blanc); two still white wines (a Louis Jadot 2009 or a Macon Villages 2009) and two red wines (a Loupiac Chateau Cornelien 2009 or a Saint Emilion 2008). Not that we got to try much wine on the way back. Despite the fact that the First Class cabin was empty and Business Class was only slightly more than half-full, the service was terrible. I could barely manage to get a refill on my drink and, eventually, just feel asleep with an empty glass next to me --- it was still there, empty, when I awoke 4 hours later. The flight attendants basically disappeared after the meal service and were not seen again to speak of until it was time for breakfast.

After dinner, we both went to sleep for a few hours. No duvets. The seats are okay (they do not go completely flat) and, like the First Class seats, are not up to current international Business Class standards.

Before arriving in LAX, we were offered breakfast (fresh fruit, ham and cheese omelet served with bacon, salmon and leek tart served with grilled leeks or crepes filled with Tahitian fruit along with a selection of bakeries). My wife and I both had the omelet and it was terrible. 



All in all, Poerava Business was tremendously disappointing, in particular after the Poerava First experience on the way over. The food and the service were both terrible --- not just in comparison to Poerava First --- just plain terrible overall for any sort of premium airline product. The seats were reasonably comfortable but they kept the cabin about 10 degrees too warm which made sleeping, at least for me, difficult. Although I’m sure Poerava Business is 1000% better than coach, it fell miles short of our expectations.